Ethnic theatres in the United States arose from a variety of historical and cultural traditions, such as Native American, African American, French, and Hispanic theatres. European and Asian theatres grew in the nineteenth century as more immigrants from those areas arrived. German theatres began performing in New York City and New Orleans as early as the the 1830s and soon after made their way to the rural Midwest. Norwegian and Swedish theatres were opening in Chicago during the 1860s. Chinese theatres were thriving in San Francisco in the 1870s. By 1890, Polish theatres were opened in New York, Detroit, Chicago, Buffalo, Winona, and Arcadia, even before large-scale Polish immigration began.
In the 19th and early 20th centuries, ethnic theatres was occurring in many different forms. Some formed clubs that read, discussed, performed, and wrote plays. Amateur theatres had many different sponsors, including losses and mitral benefit associations, cultural societies, athletic clubs, women's clubs, labor unions, settlement houses, churches, socialist and nationalist societies, temperance leads, youth groups, universities, and public and parochial schools. With support coming from a wide variety of groups, it was clear that ethnic theatre was widely supported in the United States.
While ethnic theatre received a great deal of support, it received much opposition and discrimination as well. Native Americans once burned a German theatre to the ground in New Ulm, Minnesota in 1962 out of fear of losing their lands to white encroachment. Nationwide damage to German theatres occurred due to a anti-German movement during WWI. Many theatres received harassment for violating "blue Laws," which forbade performing on Sundays. White journalists often ridiculed "Chinaman" theatre. Despite the obstacles, ethnic theatre was still able to flourish.
Ethnic theatre reached its peak in the beginning of the 20th century. During a time of heavy immigration to the United States, immigrant theatres were able to provide inexpensive entertainment in multiple languages to hundreds of thousands of immigrants. These theatres performed in a variety of places, including church basements, farms, social halls, school auditoriums, cafes, and homes. Professional companies were able to perform as frequently as twice a day in beautiful, large structures. Some were able to attract audiences as large as 4000 to one show. Viewers would travel long distances to see productions, and some shows traveled to bring entertainment to those all over the country.
Ethnic theatre began to decline some time between the last 1920s and the early 1930s. Companies became few in number, gave fewer performances, and some even argue that they gave poorer performances. Some believe this decline was a result of immigration quota laws in 1924, which caused the target audience to stop growing. Other factors that may have contributed to this decline include increasing affluence, Americanization, and geographic discretion of many of the original patrons of ethnic theatre.
Even though it declined, ethnic theatre certainly did not die. Some companies merged into mainstream entertainment and were kept alive by President Roosevelt's WPA. Ethnic theatre continued to face obstacles in the 1980s, but expressed the political and ideological divides between ethnic communities and mainstream America. Funding was difficult due to inflation. During the 1960s and 1970s, many public and private foundations supported ethnic theatres, but during the 1980s, cutbacks and political strife caused support to whither. Despite these challenges, there was still reason to hope. ethnic theatre was receiving recognition from both ethnic and mainstream audiences, university programs, national theatre associations, and academic journals. Collection software ethnic plays and scholarly works about ethnic theatre were published. Those in ethnic theatre were experimenting with new components of plays. They also began to search for new outlets for their work. These factors were the reason for the optimism that ethnic theatre would survive in American culture.
In the 19th and early 20th centuries, ethnic theatres was occurring in many different forms. Some formed clubs that read, discussed, performed, and wrote plays. Amateur theatres had many different sponsors, including losses and mitral benefit associations, cultural societies, athletic clubs, women's clubs, labor unions, settlement houses, churches, socialist and nationalist societies, temperance leads, youth groups, universities, and public and parochial schools. With support coming from a wide variety of groups, it was clear that ethnic theatre was widely supported in the United States.
While ethnic theatre received a great deal of support, it received much opposition and discrimination as well. Native Americans once burned a German theatre to the ground in New Ulm, Minnesota in 1962 out of fear of losing their lands to white encroachment. Nationwide damage to German theatres occurred due to a anti-German movement during WWI. Many theatres received harassment for violating "blue Laws," which forbade performing on Sundays. White journalists often ridiculed "Chinaman" theatre. Despite the obstacles, ethnic theatre was still able to flourish.
Ethnic theatre reached its peak in the beginning of the 20th century. During a time of heavy immigration to the United States, immigrant theatres were able to provide inexpensive entertainment in multiple languages to hundreds of thousands of immigrants. These theatres performed in a variety of places, including church basements, farms, social halls, school auditoriums, cafes, and homes. Professional companies were able to perform as frequently as twice a day in beautiful, large structures. Some were able to attract audiences as large as 4000 to one show. Viewers would travel long distances to see productions, and some shows traveled to bring entertainment to those all over the country.
Ethnic theatre began to decline some time between the last 1920s and the early 1930s. Companies became few in number, gave fewer performances, and some even argue that they gave poorer performances. Some believe this decline was a result of immigration quota laws in 1924, which caused the target audience to stop growing. Other factors that may have contributed to this decline include increasing affluence, Americanization, and geographic discretion of many of the original patrons of ethnic theatre.
Even though it declined, ethnic theatre certainly did not die. Some companies merged into mainstream entertainment and were kept alive by President Roosevelt's WPA. Ethnic theatre continued to face obstacles in the 1980s, but expressed the political and ideological divides between ethnic communities and mainstream America. Funding was difficult due to inflation. During the 1960s and 1970s, many public and private foundations supported ethnic theatres, but during the 1980s, cutbacks and political strife caused support to whither. Despite these challenges, there was still reason to hope. ethnic theatre was receiving recognition from both ethnic and mainstream audiences, university programs, national theatre associations, and academic journals. Collection software ethnic plays and scholarly works about ethnic theatre were published. Those in ethnic theatre were experimenting with new components of plays. They also began to search for new outlets for their work. These factors were the reason for the optimism that ethnic theatre would survive in American culture.